When the jeep turned into the family housing compound of the city machinery factory, they could already see from afar that the area in front of the dormitory building was packed with people.
“Shen Guodong! Stop hiding like a coward! Hand over those reactionary materials!”
“That’s right! Confess and be treated leniently resist and be punished severely!”
On the mottled brick wall, the slogan “Grasp revolution, promote production” had been splashed with half a wall of red paint.
Shen Zhiwei’s heart sank sharply.
Before the car had even fully stopped, she pushed the door open and jumped out.
At the very front of the crowd, her father, Shen Guodong, was wearing his work overalls. Two young men with red armbands had his arms twisted behind his back, pinning him against the wall.
His graying hair was covered in dust, his glasses hung crookedly on his nose, and the straight back he always carried was now hunched.
“You’re nothing but bandits! I, Shen Guodong, have worked honestly in engineering all my life! Don’t you dare pin those fabricated charges on me!”
Beside him, her older brother Shen Jianguo was drenched in sweat, desperately blocking a tall, thin man who was trying to rush into the house. “Director Wang! Director Wang!
Do you have any sense of reason? My father is a senior engineer at the factory… he’s made contributions! What right do you have ”
“Dad! Big brother!” Shen Zhiwei’s voice trembled with tears.
Looking at them, memories surged she hadn’t even seen her father one last time in her previous life. She didn’t even know what suffering he had endured after being sent away.
Back then, all her thoughts had been consumed by that scumbag Chen Weidong. To please him, she had treated her natal family like an ATM, completely ignoring her parents’ hardship.
Hearing her voice, Shen Guodong and the others turned around sharply. The moment they saw her, their eyes filled with worry. “Zhiwei! Why did you come back!”
“Leave! This has nothing to do with you!”
“Dad!” Shen Zhiwei could no longer hold back her tears; they poured out as she grabbed her father’s cold hand tightly.
“Oh? Another one delivered right to the door.”
A mocking voice rang out. The crowd parted automatically, and a man in a brand-new Zhongshan suit, his hair slicked back and shiny, strolled forward.
Behind him stood Wang Qiang, the newly appointed deputy director of the factory’s revolutionary committee.
When Shen Zhiwei saw the man in front clearly, her brows tightened.
Li Jianye! Li Man’s cousin.
In her previous life, it was this very Li Jianye who, under Li Man and Chen Weidong’s orders, abused his authority to push her father step by step into ruin.
All those so-called technical issues and accusations of wavering loyalty had been carefully fabricated.
All for the research report on a new type of machinery her father was about to complete.
Chen Weidong wanted to use that achievement in the army as a stepping stone for his promotion.
Old and new grudges flared at once, burning in Shen Zhiwei’s eyes.
“Li Jianye!”
“Take your people and get out of my house!”
He was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting Shen Zhiwei to call him out by name so boldly.
After a brief pause, he flew into a rage, pointing his notebook at her. “Shen Zhiwei! What kind of attitude is that! Your father, Shen Guodong being the factory’s chief engineer has shown wavering ideology and failed to properly safeguard technical materials.”
“He’s even suspected of leaking state secrets. We are here on behalf of the Revolutionary Committee to conduct a lawful investigation! If you obstruct us, you’re resisting the organization!”
“A lawful investigation?” Shen Zhiwei let out a cold laugh, stepping forward without the slightest fear. “Does an investigation require smashing into my home? Does it require pinning my father against the wall?”
“Does it require bringing this many people to block my doorstep? Li Jianye, stop waving a chicken feather as if it were an imperial decree! What law are you even talking about? Which clause of the Revolutionary Committee’s regulations allows you to act like this?”
Her voice was clear and resonant, each word firm and forceful.
It struck the silent crowd, stirring a wave of low murmurs.
Deputy Director Wang Qiang’s expression darkened. “Comrade Shen, mind your words. Group Leader Li represents the higher authorities. Your father’s issues are very serious he is refusing to cooperate with the investigation and showing a bad attitude.”
“We now strongly suspect that he has hidden key technical materials! We must enter and search today!”
“Search?!”
Shen Zhiwei swept her gaze over Wang Qiang and the restless red-armbanded youths behind him. “Where’s the search warrant? Show it! Without a formal warrant bearing an official seal, whoever dares step into my house is trespassing!”
Her words rang out powerfully, momentarily stunning the scene into silence.
Wang Qiang and Li Jianye exchanged a glance. They were now stuck between a rock and a hard place.
They indeed had no formal procedures just relying on the Revolutionary Committee’s name to intimidate first, hoping to scare Shen Guodong into handing over the blueprints.
“Fine. The paperwork will take no more than half a day,” Li Jianye sneered. “Shen Zhiwei, don’t think your sharp tongue can get you through this. Your father’s problem is set in stone.”
“Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
A low, cold voice sounded from behind.
The crowd parted again as Gu Yanzhou’s tall figure walked in, the brim of his cap pulled low, shadowing part of his face.
But the sharp, imposing aura around him instantly silenced the noisy crowd.
He walked to Shen Zhiwei’s side and positioned himself in front of her, shielding her.
“Even the Revolutionary Committee must follow rules and laws,” Gu Yanzhou said calmly, his voice not loud but clearly heard by everyone. “Without proper procedures, barging into a home, threatening and intimidating the family of military personnel ”
He continued, “Are you certain you want to bear the consequences?”
Li Jianye was momentarily intimidated by Gu Yanzhou’s presence, a trace of unease creeping into his heart.
He recognized the uniform and knew the man’s identity was not ordinary, but relying on his position in the Revolutionary Committee, he forced himself to respond, “Who are you? This is an internal matter of our local Revolutionary Committee the military has no authority to interfere!”
Gu Yanzhou took out an identification card bearing the national emblem from his uniform pocket. “Military Discipline Inspection Commission, Special Investigation Team. Gu Yanzhou.”
Military Discipline Inspection Commission?
Li Jianye’s face changed drastically. The red-armbanded youths nearby instinctively stepped back. In those days, the name of the military disciplinary body was even more intimidating than the police it dealt directly with top authorities and major military cases.
If it came to a real confrontation, even the Revolutionary Committee would have to think twice.
Cold sweat broke out on Wang Qiang’s forehead as he hurried to smooth things over. “Comrade Gu, it’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. We were just acting on a report from the public routine inspection.”
“Investigation is fine,” Gu Yanzhou said, putting away his ID. “Follow proper procedures. Bring formal authorization. If I see you using these underhanded tactics to harass military family members again ”
“Don’t blame me for handling it according to regulations.”
Li Jianye’s face turned ashen. He knew the situation today had completely collapsed.
He shot Shen Zhiwei a venomous glare, then gritted his teeth and said to Shen Guodong, “Engineer Shen, we’ll go back and get the proper paperwork. We’ll give you one more day.
When we return, the Revolutionary Committee will proceed according to the rules and dismantle this nest where problems are being hidden.”
“At that time, it won’t just be the house everything inside will be confiscated!”